The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a statement advising pregnant women in general to avoid visiting the Wynwood area in Miami. So far, the Florida Department of Health has confirmed 12 cases of locally transmitted Zika virus in the area. Two additional cases of local transmission have been confirmed in Broward County, north of Miami.
The exact location of the area to be avoided is between NW 5th Avenue to the west, US 1 (Biscayne Boulevard) to the east, NW/NE 38th Street to the north, and NW/NE 20th Street to the south, also encompassing the regions known as Edgewater, Midtown, and Design District.
For pregnant women who visited the area since June 15, 2016, it is recommended to undergo a blood test to check for the virus.
CDC Recommendations for Pregnant Women and Their Partners:
• Pregnant women should not visit or travel to that area.
• Pregnant women and their partners who live in or will travel to that area should use repellent and wear clothing that covers as much of the body as possible.
• Women and men who live in or have traveled to that area should use condoms during the pregnancy period.
• All pregnant women in the United States should be evaluated for possible exposure to the Zika virus at each prenatal visit.
• Pregnant women who live in or frequently travel to this area should be tested in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy to check for possible infection by the virus.
• Pregnant women with possible Zika exposure and signs or symptoms should undergo testing for virus identification.
Couples Planning to Have Children:
• Women infected with the Zika virus should wait at least eight weeks, and men should wait at least six months after symptoms appear, before planning to have children.
• Women and men who live in or frequently travel to that area should consult their doctor.
• Women and men who have traveled to that area should wait at least eight weeks before planning to have children.